Machine foe



UNITED srnrrsggnnr ornion.

JAMES F. VEEKS, OF COLUMBUS, OHIO.

MACHINE FOR FOLDING PAPER.

Specification of Letters Patent No. 17,535, dated June 9, 1857.

To all whom it' may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES F. IEEKS, of the city of Columbus, in the county of Franklin and State of Ohio, have invented a new and useful improvement in machinery for producing the reciprocating motion to the straight edges or folders in machines for folding paper, by which I facilitate the rapid working of the machine and avoid a great degree of the wear and its liability to get out of order; and I do further declare that the following is a clear, full, and exact description of the construction and operation of a machine suitable for folding folio newspapers, reference being had to the anneXed drawings, making a part of this specification, in which- Figure l is a perspective view; Fig. Q, 1` front elevation; Fig. 3, a sectional view of the shaft, rollers and rockshafts, connected with the feed and first and fifth folds, the frame being omitted; Fig. 4f is a sectional view of the countershaft, rollers and rockshafts of the second, third and fourthfolds, the frame being removed; Fig. 5 is sectional side view of Fig. 4: Fig. 6 is a plan of the slots and friction rollers of a wheel by which I produce the required motion; Fig. 7 is a longitudinal sectional view of the same wheel, showing the plane and orbits of the different frictio-n rollers; Fig. 8 is a longitudinal view of a stud showing the manner of forming the bearing to the friction rollers, in which is the nut, 1/ the bolt, .e the thimble, and u p the friction roller, loose upon the bolt; Fig. S) is a sectional view of the thimble e cut through the dotted line, showing the fitting of the thimble to the slots inthe wheel; Fig. l0 is a sectional and side view of the finger, or tripping arm, operating the rockshaft l; and Fig. ll is a sectional and side view of the finger operating the rockshaft, 6; Figs. l., 2, 3, 4, and 5 are sth size; Figs. G, 7, l0 and l1 are one half size, and S and 9 are full size of the machine.

Like letters and figures refer to the same parts in all the drawings.

The ends of the frame, A, A, Fig. l, are of iron, cast whole, three feet wide and two feet eight inches high, the body three eighths of an inch thick and four inches wide, with moldings projecting on each side of each edge, so'as to make it an inch thick around the whole frame, placing suitable bosses for the journals and caps, and for drilling,

where necesary, and having an elevation on the front side of seven inches, to which is bolted the pieces, I), I), which form bearings for the rollers u, o, and a pin which passes through the slot in the pieces l2, coupled to the arms l1 of the rockshaft 1, and by which the feed roller, 5, is raised, lowered and guided to take the sheets. The side pieces of the frame, A2, A3, are three feet two inches long, with flanges on the ends to receive the bolts and stiifen the frame: the upper pieces A2 are so enlarged near the middle as to form the necessary bearings to all the rollers, rockshafts, countershaft and studs required, and also to support the feed board, B. The roller, a, Fig. Q, three inches in diameter, has a bearing three feet five and a half inches from the floor, in the pieces D, I). The roller o, three inches in diameter. is raised one and a half inches higher, and in front of a, and lies in slotted bearings, so that its weight rests on a. The feed roller one and a half inches in diameter, has bearings in the slotted arms 12, in which it revolves easily to the touch, land is driven by the friction The roller c, four inches from the roller a. in diameter, has bearings two feet andtwo inches from the floor, on the front sides of the ends of the frame. The roller (I, two and three fourth inches in diameter, has bearings three eighths of an inch above the bearings of e, inpieces suspended by bolts, passing through slots, in projections cast on the caps of the roller a (see CZ, Fig. 1,) in order that it can be always kept tightly pressed against c, to hold the sheet firm while it passes downward in front of the roller f, as indicated by the arrow in Fig. 3, until it is struck between e and j', forming the first fold. The roller f, Fig. is three inches in diameter, and has bearings in the same perpendicular line with e, thereby leaving a space of half an inch for the sheet to pass without touching its periphery, until forced by the folder at the proper time, and as a further prevention of the sheet being drawn in by the motion of f, I place a piece of sheet zinc o in fro-nt of it, riveted to a rod bolted to the frame below f.

The rollers a, ZJ, c, (l, e and f are of wood, having iron gudgeons driven in about four or five inches, projecting to form the bearings, the wood reaching to within about an inch of the frame.V The rollers g, Fig. 3, are of wood, one and 'a half inch in diameter, and eXtend to bearings cast projecting on the upper front side piece A2 near the center of the frame, and are received in small pieces bolted to the end of the frame A, so that their lower side shall be one fourth of an inch lower than the lower side of the roller e, in order thatthe set of tapes which pass from f to ZL, shall bind the sheet against y, and thus secure its advance until fully delivered beneath the rollers z', The rollers 7L, are two inches in diameter, resting in bearings bolted to the frame so that their upper edge will. be horizontal with the lower edge of g. The rollers z', j, Fig. 4, have horizontal bearings in the lower part of the upper side pieces A2, and equidistant from the center of the machine, and so that their lo-wersides are half an inch above the tapes from to 71,. lFour and seven eight-hs inches above z', is roller Z, in front of which is roller c, two inches in diameter, around which the set of tapes from z' return. Above Z is roller m, two and a half inches in diameter and horizontal with m is n, seven and five eighths inches above Above n is o, two and a half inches in diameter, bearing in slots and resting its weight on a. The rollers z', j, Z and n, are of wood, each three inches in diameter, and reaching in length nearly across the width of the frame, with iron gudgeons driven in the ends to`form bearings. The rollers 7c, m and 0 are of wood, of the salne length and bearing. Parallel withY n, and even with the top of the end pieces of the frame, I bolt a cross piece E, Fig. 1, forming bear*- ings for the rollers p, Q, u, u, and the rockshaft 6. The rollers u, u, Fig. 1, are about eight inches long and one and a fourth inch in diameter, and lie entirely below the top of the roller a, being parallel with and about half an inch from it. The rollers t, t, are about eight inches long and one and a half inches in diameter, parallel with and their tops level with the top of n, having bearings in pieces bolted to the end piece of the frame A. rlhe rollers p, (I, four inches in diameter, have horizontal bearings in the top of the end piece A and the crosspiece E, at right angles to the center of a, the tops of p, g, being about half an inch below the tops of n, t. The delivery rollers r, s, one and a half inches in diameter, have bearings in t-he pieces w, w, fw, w, projecting from and bolted to the frame, so as to deliver the sheet about siX inches fro-1n the' top of the frame.' The receiving board C is about fifteen inches wide and the length of the machine, and is supported by pieces bolted to the end pieces A, -of t-he frame, about ten inches below the delivery rollers.

The rockshaft' 1, Fig. 2, has bearings in the front of the frame, eight and a half inches above the bearings of the roller e,

and recessed half an inch 'from the edge of I the frame A, having an arm 11 on each end, inside the frame, four inches long, to which are coupled the slotted pieces 12, 12, bearing the feed roller b, Fig. 3. On the end of the rockshaft 1, between the frame and the slotted wheel N, Fig. 2, is a finger or tripping arm, 12, of which Fig. 1() is a sec. tional and side view, which operates the rcckshaft as it is pressed downward by the revolution of the friction roller N3, on the slotted wheel N, the motion being returned by the action of the spiral spring, 14, on the rockshaft near its center-thus causing the feed roller, Z), to fall and rise at the proper time. Roclrshaft 2, has bea-rings six and three fourths inches above the roller e, in the front edge of the frame, having an arm on each end, 21 21, Fig. 3, to which is bolted the steel straight edge or folder, 22, eXtending across the front of the machine and so adjusted as to force the sheetprecisely into the recess between the rollers e, f, forming the first fold, by the action of theV friction roller, N1, against the finger 22 on the end of the rockshaft, out-side of the slotted wheel N, which motion is returned by the action of the spiral spring, 24, near the center of the shaft-the arms, 21, reciprocating between the gudgeons, or journals, of the rollers e and Rockshaft 3, Fig. 4, liesv below the line of tapes from f to 7L, with bearings parallel and about three inches below the roller z, having arms, 31, oneach end inside the frame, to which is bolted the felder, 32, Fig. 3, adjusted to'strike the sheet upward from the tapes f, L, precisely into the recess between the rollersl c', Fig. 4, by the action of the friction roller Pl against the finger 33 on the outer end of the rcckshaft 3, Fig. 1, outside of the slotted wheel P, which motion is again returnedby a spiral spring on the rockshaft. Nine inches above the countershaft L, Fig. 1, vand one inch in front of the roller m, Fig. 4, is rockshaft 4, with arms 41 and folder 42, which strike the sheet between the roller Z, m, making the third fold by the action of the slot-ted piece, 42, coupled to the finger,4", as it is moved by the upward pressure of the friction roller P2, which motion is again returned by the action of the spiral spring 45. Parallelwith 4, and two and a half inchesfrom it, is rockshaft 5, on which are arms, 51 and folder 52 which strike the sheet, between the rollers n, 0, making the fourth fold, by the. action of the friction roller P3, in the same manner as the third fold is formed. The lower ends of the pieces 42 and 53 have slots in which a. friction stud or pin is inserted, screwed into bosses projecting from theframe, bringing them in line withthe orbits of the friction rollers P2 and P2. Rockshaft 6 is situated half an inch above'and parallel with the frame, A2, thirteen `inches from the bearings of p, having bearings in `the end of the frame A and the cross piece E, having arms 61 and folder 62 which strikes the sheet between the rollers p, y, forming the last fold, Fig. 3, by the action of the friction roller N 3, against the finger Gi", (of which Fig. ll is a sectional and side view) which motion is returned by the action of the spiral spring. I make the rockshafts seven eighths of an inch in diameter, and Q, 3 and 6 are provided with adjustable stops $55 and to prevent their going too far. l, et and are governed by the slots in the pieces coupled to the fingers on the rockshafts. All the arms are fastened to the rockshafts by set screws so to adjust the advance of the folders to a proper distance. All the spiral springs are firmly secured to the frame at one end, the other passing through a. hole in a washer on the rockshaft, provided with lever holes and set screw, so that the strength Aof the spring can be governed at pleasure. All the fingers are firmly keyed to the rockshafts, and their length from the rockshafts to the striking point of the friction rollers is such that the motion of the folders equal to the speed of the sheet, so that the paper is folded just where the folder strikes it, without any wrinkle.

(,)n the end of the main shaft G, Fig. l, is a pinion M, two inches in diameterwith twenty four teeth, which gears with and drives the slotted cog wheel N, eight inches in diameter with ninety six teeth, making one revolution to four of the pinion M. rThe-slotted wheel N, is three fourths of an inch face, having a hub N4, Fig. 7, affording a lateral bearing of about two inches upon a vstud one inch in diameter, and is kept in place between a collar next the frame and a left hand threaded nut N5, the stud passing through the frame A and firmly secured with a screw and nut. The friction roller N', Fig. G, one and a fourth inches in diameter and half an inch face, has a bearing between the head of a bolt or stud and a thimble live eighths of an inch from the face of N, said stud or bolt being screwed into the wheel N three inches from its center. About four inches back of this stud a half inch slot commences and extends about five inches, the middle of the slot being on a pitch line of three inches radius, and which receives a nut, bolt, thimble and friction roller as represented in Figs. 6, T, 8, and 9, where a" is the nut, y the bolt, .e the thimble and n-p the friction roller, the whole forming a movable stud easily adjusted and secured at any point, the manner of fitting the' thimble," s, to the slot being shown at Fig. 9, the thimble project-ing one eighth of an inch from the inner face of the wheel Fig. Two other half inch slots are cut the wheel N,

chine, on the outer end ofthe countershaft L, Fig. 1, is another pinion, O, of `the same size as the pinion M, before described, which gears and drives another slotted wheel P, `of the same size, face, gear, bearingand Support as the wheel N, above descrlbed, except that the friction roller P1 on lthe outer face is close to the end of the vouter slotand the inner slot is continuous 4on the pitch line of two and a quarter inch radius and about one half in rear of 1the outer slot, as shown in Figs. l and 4-tl1e nuts, bolts, thinibles, and friction rollers, being like thosel above described on the wheel N.

Motion is given to the whole by a band on the loose pulley F1 being thrown upon the driving pulley F, Fig. 2, on the main shaft G, which passes through and has bearings in the end pieces of the frame A, A, five inches aboye the bearings of the rollere, and two inches from the front edge. (,)Vn the shaft G, between the pulley F, and Atheframe A, l place a cog wheel, H, six inches in diameter, which gears with and drives the` cog wheel, I, on the roller e, four inches in `diameter, which gears and drives another cog wheel, J, three inches in diameter, `on the roller f'. (')n the shaft G, near the middle of thel frame, is a miter wheel, K, which gears, through a. slot in the upper frame piece A2, with another miter wheel on the counter' shaft L, inside the frame. O n the opposite inner side, on said countershaft, is a three inch cog wheel, which gears and drives similar cog wheels on the rollers Z, m, and also by an intermediate on the `stud AQ, with the roller i (F ig. .()n the outer ends of the main shaft G and. the counter shaft L are the pinions M and 0which drive the slotted wheels N and Rca-using the revolutions by which the friction rollers N1, N2, N3, P1, P2 and P3 operate upon the fingers or tripping arms of the severalrockshafts, alternately, operating the feed roller and the several folders, in the manner described. On the outer ends of the rollers p, g, are grooved wheels, three and three fourths of an inch in diameter R, S, Fig. 1, which receive a half inch round' belt, driven by a similar grooved wheel upon-the roller e, two and a half inchesin diameter, 'imparting motion to y), (l, and by the twosets of tapes thereon also the rollers 1', s, byavhich the sheet is deposited 4upon the receiving'.

table C. Theseries of tapes passingaroun .the rollers 'driven by cogwheelsfcarry the other rollers aronndwhich theyrpass deliverl the paper at the proper time and place to produce t-he proper folds in the desired manner.

The top piece of the frame A2, Fig. l, of the side on which the sheets are delivered is raised suliciently high (about 18 inches) to formY a` support to the feed board, B, in the inaiiiiei' i'epreseiited, which is of the width of the length of the machine, and about tive feet long. Y

B2, Fig. 2, is a gage fixed on arms, so that it can vbe swung to adjust the sheet to dilferent sizes and produce accuracy in the second fold.

Operation The sheets are fed similar to the manner yof feeding a cylinder printing press, by being advanced to a mark attached to the feed board and lying in a groove lturnedin t-he roller a, near the middle of its length, where it remains until the feed roller, Z), is brought down by the motion of the rockshaft l, when the sheet is rolled between a, and c, and carried downward between twov sets of tapes and the rollerscZ, e,

and in front of f, until the proper place for the fold has arrived, when the motion of rockshaft, 2, operates the folder 22, to force the sheet between the rollers e, j', forming the first fold, Vthe sheet passing into the ma chine horizontally between two sets of tapes on the rollers a, e, g and f, It. The tapes which pass from c return upward around the roller CZ. The tapes from ai to e pass around y and return upward to Z again. The sheet with one fold, emerging fioin beneath the rollers g, y, on the tapes f, 7i, advances horizontally beneath the rollers z', j, Figs. 3 and fl, until the action of the rocksliaft 3 operates the folder 32, to strike the sheet upward between the rollers z' j and forms the second fold at right angles to the first and is re ceived between two sets of tapes, which carry it upward between the rollers t, Z, until the action of the rockshaft 4, operates the folder l? to strike the sheet horizontally between the'rollers Z, m, making the third fold parallel to the second. The sheet passing under the rollei m, and rising upward again between m and Ia, advances until the action of the rocksliaft 5, operates the folder 52, to strike the sheet between the rollers a, o, inaking the fourth fold parallel to the second and third, the sheet advancingA horizontally from n, 0, upon the tapes a, t (which have guided it from the roller j) above the rollers j), g, until the action of the rockshaft 6 op erates the folder 62 to strike the sheet between the rollers p, g, at right angles to the last formed fold, and the sheet passes between two sets of tapes between the rollers 1, s, and is thus delivered upon the receiving table C. Phe set of tapes from the roller @I pass around hand return downward to z'. The tapes from j, over Z and n, return around t and over u,passing downward to y' again.

By removing the roller o and placing in its bearings a rod with a piece of sheet zinc, or its equivalent, to turn the sheet horizontally as itrises from m, over a, and removing the friction roller P3 by taking the movable .studfroin the wheel P, the fourth fold above described may be omitted whenever desired. In the same manner, substituting a rod and zinc or their equivalents, in the bearings of the roller m, replacingthe roller 0, and removing P2 and its movable stud from the slot in the wheel P, the rocksliafts 4 and 5 will remain stationary, and the sheet will pass from the second to the fifth folds, above described, and be delivered from the machine with but three folds, or in a quarto lform.

Having thus described a newspaper foldling machine, I do not claim the folding of paper by passing the sheets between revolv- .ing rollers; neither do I claim the arrange.

ment of the rollers in the above described form, as they can be easily arranged to produce any other form offold desired; but

lhat I do claim"as my improven'ieiit, and

desire to secure by Letters P/atent, is-

l. The manner of operating the feed roller and folders, by means offriction rollers, or their equivalents, revolving upon the plane rof a wheel, or wheels; Fig. 6) striking against fingers, or tripping arms, or their equivalents, keyed upon the rockshafts to which the feed roller and folders are attached, substantially in the manner described, in combination with spiral springs upon said rockshafts, to return the feed roller and folders to their places, substantially in the manner specified, the whole tending to facilitate the rapid, easy and certain operation of the machine.

2. I also claim making slots in said wheel,

lor wheels, in which to fasten said friction rollers, or their equivalents, .at any desired 'point by means of the-thiinble, bolt. and

nut, constituting the movable stud (Fig. 8,)

substantially in the manner specified and 'shown in Figs. 6, 7, 8 and 9 so that said friction rollers maybe moved forward or back- ,wai-d, to cause the motion of said rockshafts to be sooner or later as may be desired, in combination with the rockshafts, spiral fold required. f

Columbus, Ohio, May (j, 1857.

JAMES WEEKS. Attest: i Y

J. F. KELLY," T. SHILLING."

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